A gun turret is a location from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility, and some cone of fire. A modern gun turret is generally a weapon mount that houses the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in some degree of azimuth and elevation (cone of fire). Rotating turrets can be mounted on a fortified building or structure such as a coastal blockhouse, be part of a land battery, be mounted on a combat vehicle, a naval ship, or a military aircraft, they may be armed with one or more machine guns, automatic cannons, large-caliber guns, or missile launchers. They may be manned or remotely controlled and are most often protected to some degree, if not actually armored. The protection provided by the turret may be against battle damage, the weather conditions, general environment in which the weapon or its crew will be operating. The name derives from the pre-existing noun turret meaning a self-contained protective position which is situated on top of a fortification or defensive wall as opposed to rising directly from the ground, in which case it constitutes a tower. A small turret, or sub-turret set on top of a larger one, is called a cupola. The term cupola is also used for a rotating turret that carries a sighting device rather than weaponry, such as that used by a tank commander.
In the present world the inventions and the development in the field of weaponry is growing paralleling with the development of the other fields of warfare technology. Public discussion on weapons at the present time centers around nuclear warheads and delivery. However, those with day to day responsibility to evaluate threats to national security always come back to the basics of “boots on the ground” combatant soldiers. The need for use of weapons such as AK47, M16, 7 mm hand gun, stand gun, sniper, Barrett REC7 carbine are not diminished as the foot soldier. is needed as never before. This often entails face to face, hand to hand contact with direct engagement. The major challenges to mobility appear when the combatant needs to carry a weapon with the other accessories since present battle zone engagement requires the soldier to often be mobile and flexible. 6tfc6xAlso, weapons are mostly fired in an erect position and have limited fire power. During this engagement while firing at the enemy the combatant exposes his torso as a target opportunity for the enemy combatant.
A large number of rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, military firearms, etc. were and are manufactured equipped only with open sights, also called iron sights. These rifles may be subsequently fitted with optical sights such as riflescopes, reflex, and holographic sights, which are needed to look directly through them. However rifles if equipped with periscopes have the distinct advantage of identifying the enemy target without exposing the combatant's body. One method for sighting-in involves attaching the periscope with the rifle, and then centering the elevation and lateral aim point of the rifle with the laser.
A number of different type of the tools and methods for advanced lightweight or heavyweight gun equipped with periscope are available in prior art. Prior art document, CN2179569 discloses a gun periscope firing device for protecting oneself used in war which is composed of a support bracket, a fastener, a trigger driving head, a periscope, an optical sighting device, a focal length regulating knob, a gunstock, a left handle, a trigger and a right handle. The person in the trench observes the periscope and sights via an optical sight, the accurate and efficient enemy killing is implemented, and the furthest oneself protection is achieved.
Another prior art, CN102735104 discloses a method and device of firearm capable of carrying out periscopic shooting, which is formed by a gun body, a periscope, a linkage box and a gun support. The linkage box is movably connected at the lower end of the gun body. The lower end of the linkage box is fixedly connected with the gun support. The periscope is arranged at the rear end of the linkage box and the inner part of the linkage box is provided with a pulley. If the linkage trigger is hinged in the linkage box, and the gun trigger is connected with the linkage trigger by the cord pull rounding the pulley and the gun shot out.
Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,837 discloses a launching device in which an optical sight is coupled to the mounting of a launching device to direct the launching device before to the launch of a missile. Disconnect means is provided so that the mounting can be oriented in a direction other than that dictated by the sight, after the missile is launched.
Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 1,184,078 discloses a method for designed, arranged and especially well adapted to meet defensive requirements of trench warfare, the arm proper being directly mounted upon an elongated magazine of large capacity, which in turn is adjustably mounted upon a supporting rod or pike, thus providing for trenches of varying depths, and further equipped with a suitable periscope by means of which latter the gun may be sighted without exposing an in trenched operator to fire of the enemy.
Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 1,260,285 discloses a periscope attachment for rifles. In another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,743 discloses a gun mount for light automatic weapons, comprising an upper mount having cradle means for the detachable attachment of the weapon thereto and a lower mount having a circular track and being adapted to be attached to a vehicle in such a manner that the upper mount is rotated about the vertical axis of the circular track. The cradle is pivotable about a horizontal weapon traverse axis. Aiming means comprising a rigid periscope having fixed reflecting mirrors is provided with its eyepiece located below the circular track and whose sight radius is coupled with the traverse motion of the weapon about the weapon traverse axis.
Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,041 discloses an observation post such as a turret having an observation opening allowing passage of the head of an operator there through, the opening being preferably closable by an armored hatch cover. An external viewing device is mounted outside the turret and is employed by the operator with his head disposed in the observation opening, and an internal viewing device is mounted inside the turret below the external viewing device and parallel thereto, the internal viewing device being of greater precision and having a reduced field of view as compared to the external viewing device.
Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 1,322,124 discloses a, machine by means of which a gun such as a rifle, machine gun, or the like, can be supported at the upper end of a vertical supporting structure, at a distance above the operator, by means of which said gun can be selectively manipulated, aimed and fired by the operator from his position below, thus providing a machine by means of which a man in a trench, or behind other protection, can manipulate and effectively use a rifle, or machine gun, supported at a distance above, without exposing himself to the fire of the enemy.
Yet another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 2,366,410 discloses a method to provide in a gun emplacement especially suited for use on aircraft a gun pivotally mounted for purpose ‘of aiming, and a unsighted associated with the gun which will enable the gunner to occupy a position other than one in which his line of vision is aligned with the axis of a sighting means secured to and moving with the gun.
Yet another prior art, DE1196098 discloses a mount for light weapons, particularly machine guns, in connection with which there is cut at a suitable place in the roof of an armored vehicle a hole into which there is inserted a flange having a rotatable cylindrical sleeve. A periscopic telescopic sight and a system of rods for turning and tilting the mount are arranged in the cylindrical sleeve. The system of rods is developed in the manner of a parallelogram guide so that the movement of the telescopic sight takes place synchronously with the movement of the mount and therefore of the machine gun. The commencement of the firing is effected by means of a Bowden cable which is connected with the trigger of the machine gun. The viewing opening of the telescopic tube lies at such a large distance from the roof that a gunner seated in the vehicle and covered by the armoring of the vehicle can, in a normal seated position, observe the surroundings and possibly affect the aiming and firing.
However, above mentioned references and many other similar references has one or more of the following shortcomings: (a) fixed position; (b) heavy weight; (c) can't fold the accessories; (d) not easy to handle; (e) not all the parts are operable; (f) ammo clips or magazines which hold only 30 to 60 bullets and inefficiency to change ammo clips or magazines; (g) turrets are attached with the tank; and (h) exposing soldier to enemy fire.
The present application addresses the above-mentioned concerns and short comings with regard to providing a lightweight mobile turret with rapid ammo clip changer.